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Individual Page


Family
Marriage: Children:
  1. Stephen Ambrose O'Connor: Birth: 24 May 1890 in Joliet, Will, Illinois. Death: 20 Jun 1958 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois


Notes
a. Note:   Notes for Stephen Ambrose Conners then O'Connor: Even though his surname at birth was Conners, for the purpose of ancestors more easily finding his listing on this website, his name is entered in this chart as Stephen Ambrose O'Connor.
  Stephen was born in Ireland, but was living in Wales at the time of the 1861 Census of England, Wales, and Scotland. His name was written as Stephen Conners on the census page. That census was taken on the night of April 7th. He was listed as being born in Ireland, and his age was listed as 16.
  Stephen's family's geographical location was in the registration district of Cardiff, in the sub district of 4 Llantrisaint. That was in the civil parish of Llantwit Fardre, in the county of Glamorgan, in Wales. They were also listed as being in the ecclesiastical parish of Glyntaff. This is the same small town where Stephen's future wife Margaret Fitzgerald lived. So the future married couple may have known each other as children.
  The likely reason the Conners family moved from Ireland to Wales was the Irish potato famine, which lasted from 1845 to 1852.
  So far, Stephen O'Connor has not been found in the 1870 U.S. census. Three later censuses and Stephen's naturalization information all show that Stephen immigrated in 1863, so he should be listed somewhere in the 1870 U.S. census. He was probably in the eastern United States, since the 1880 U.S. census stated that his son Thomas was born in Pennsylvania in 1870 or 1871.
  In Pennsylvania, Stephen was a private, then a corporal, in the 4th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army. He enlisted December 17, 1866, and was discharged exactly three years later. This information comes from a 1935 Application for Headstone document: <a href="https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GPZ7-97JM?i=990&cc=1916249">Photo</a>
  If you do not already have a free account at familysearch.org, you would need to create one to be able to see the photo.
  The reason Stephen joined the Army was because then he could become a naturalized U.S. citizen sooner.
  On November 4, 1872, Stephen became a naturalized U.S. citizen. So far his complete naturalization paperwork hasn't been located, but an index card - typed decades after the fact - containing some information has been located: <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/E2HBmbKz97X17RbT6">Photo</a>
  The 1880 U.S. census had an effective date of June first. The O'Connor family was enumerated June fourteenth. The census page shows "S." O'Connor, 33; his wife "Margart", 27; and children Thomas, 9; Alice, 5; Daniel, 4; and Stephen, six months old, who was born in December of 1879. (This is an earlier son named Stephen O'Connor, who probably died as a child, since another son was later named Stephen. The second Stephen was born 10 and a half years after the first.) Also living in the home was a boarder and another child. Thomas was listed as being born in Pennsylvania. His younger siblings were listed as being born in Illinois. They all lived at an unstated address on Franklin St. in Joliet, Will County, Illinois.
  Stephen's occupation was written as "Works at R Mill". It was written that he and his parents were born in Ireland. Margaret and her parents were listed as being born in "S Wales", which meant South Wales, which meant the southern area of the country of Wales, which is part of the United Kingdom, and is bordered by England to the east. "S Wales" was pretty accurate because Margaret was from the county of Glamorgan, which is the southernmost county in Wales.
  A photo of that 1880 census page: <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/MNN1312hr6Y9BfRu9">Photo</a>
  Joliet city directories from 1884 through 1891 list Stephen O'Connor, a laborer, living at 1109 Clay Street, then 909 Clay Street.
  The 1890 Census was destroyed by a fire in 1921.
  The 1900 U.S. census had an effective date of June first. The O'Connor family was enumerated June thirteenth. The census page shows some misspelled names. Listed were "Steven", 53; "Magrete", 46; and children Patrick, 15; "Kate", 13; "Allice", 11; and "Steven A.", 10.
  The family still lived in a home they owned at 909 Clay St. Both Stephen Sr. and Margaret were listed as being born in Wales, and all four of their parents were listed as having been born in Ireland. Stephen immigrated to the United States in 1863, and Margaret in 1868. All the children had been born in Illinois. Stephen had become a naturalized U.S. citizen. This means that naturalization documents for Stephen may still be available, possibly at the Will County courthouse, or if those papers did exist, they may have already been microfilmed, and available somewhere. If found, those documents would show some limited information, including at least his correct country of origin.
  Stephen's occupation was listed as a "catcher", but he had been unemployed for the previous 12 months, at least. Stephen and Margaret had been married for 29 years. Margaret had given birth to eleven children, seven of whom were still alive at the time of this census.
  A photo of that 1900 census page: <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/WWvQ7tfQggVDPCZv9">Photo</a>
  The 1910 U.S. census had an effective date of April fifteenth. The O'Connor family was enumerated April twenty second. The census page shows Stephen, 63; Margaret, 57; and adult children Patrick J., 25; Katherine F., 23; and Stephen A., 19. They lived in a rented residence at 6948 S. Princeton Ave., Chicago. Stephen Sr. worked at a steel mill. Stephen Jr. was an electrician. Stephen and Margaret had been married for 39 years. Margaret had given birth to 11 children, seven of whom were still alive at the time of this census.
  Stephen Sr. was listed as being born in Ireland, and immigrating to the United States in 1863. His parents were born in Ireland. He had become a naturalized U.S. citizen. Margaret was listed as being born in Wales and immigrating to the United States in 1869. Her parents were born in Ireland. The three adult children had all been born in Illinois. Everybody in the family could read and write.
  A photo of that 1910 census page: <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/x9REa1Rypz4DP6pV8">Photo</a>
  The 1920 U.S. census had an effective date of January first. The O'Connor family was enumerated January sixteenth. The census page shows "Stephan" O'Connor, 72; Margaret, 68; and two adult children, "Stephan", 30 (who was still single) and Katherine, 33. The family lived in a rented residence at 5635 S. Green St., Chicago. 72 year old Stephen Sr. was still working, as a laborer at a steel company. Stephen Jr. was an electrician for the Edison Company.
  Both Stephen Sr. and Margaret were listed as being born in Wales, and all four of their parents were listed as having been born in Ireland. Stephen immigrated to the United States in 1863, and Margaret in 1869. Both had become naturalized U.S. citizens.
  A photo of that 1920 census page: <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/gZ7nLs8zFmCaByp77">Photo</a>
  A photo of Stephen's death notice in the April 13, 1923 <i>Chicago Tribune:</i> <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/h2Z8G9ahmyf9rS9f9">Photo</a>
  Stephen's death certificate: <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/6OsZWcE8RlA1TQJF3">Photo</a>
  Stephen's FindAGrave memorial includes a photo of his grave marker: <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/70617015/Stephen-Ambrose-O'Connor">Memorial</a>


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